Is Iraq becoming a US colony?

Riz asks what the status of forces agreement means for Iraq.

Iraqis are protesting against the negotiations between the Iraqi and US governments [EPA]

Will Iraq eventually become a sovereign state, or will it become a US protectorate?

That is the bottom line in the current "status of forces" negotiations between the Bush administration and Iraqi leaders.

The US has "SOFA" agreements with Japan, South Korea, Germany and dozens of other countries around the world.

However, Iraqi politicians started to protest against the US demands when details were leaked to the press.

The demands included maintaining 58 permanent military bases in Iraq, immunity for American troops and contractors, a free hand to conduct military operations without Iraqi approval, and control of Iraqi airspace.

On Tuesday, Riz speaks with two Iraqi experts who have different opinions about what this agreement means for Iraq.

Nazar Janabi was a top official in the Iraqi defence ministry and is currently a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Affairs.

Anas Takriti is a leading Iraqi-British anti-war activist. He heads the Cordoba Foundation in London and is a politician in the Respect Party, founded by MP George Galloway.